Method and device for electrically regulating the speed of prime movers, especially turbines.



P. R. VON MERKL.

METHOD AND nEvIcE FOR ELEGTRIGALLY RBGULA'IING 'I'HB SPEED 01" PRIME MOVERS,

ESPECIALLY TURBINEB.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 81, 190B.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

l BEEBTS-SBBBT 1.

i l hi l l lm A f C'" cad W4 i -#2 M r. n. VON MERKL. METHOD AND DEVICE 1'03 ELEGTBICALLY EEGULATING THE SPEED OF PRIME MOVERS, ESPECIALLY TUBBINES.

LPPLIOATIOI FILED IA]. 31, F908.

908,474. Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. R. VON MBBKL. unmon m lmvmn ron ELBUTBIUALLY EEGULATING TEE SPEED or rnmn moms, nsrnomnu TUBBINES.

APPLIOATIOII PILBD JAR. 31. 1908.

908,474. Patented Jan. 1909.

\b 4 snarl-sum a.

z27- Z ZZZ? F. R. VON MERKL.

METHOD AND 111mm: r011 ELBGTBICALLY BEGULATING THE SPEED 01" PRIME MOVERS,

ESPECIALLY TUBBINES.

APPLICATION PILHD JAIL B1, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5. 1909.

BEEBT8BHBET 4.

of said" currents bearing a fixed phase re-f lived in phase with relation to it willi'all UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIl-TDBICT- VON MllltliL, OF VIENNA, ALWTRIA-HUNGARY.

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALLY REGULATING TIE SPEED OF PRIME MOVERS,

ESPECIALLY specification of Letters Patent.

TURBINES.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909. 1908. semi mfuafiso.

Toollwhom u may concern: I

Be it ltnown that LFRrEomcI-I Ri'r rrn vox MERKL, engineer, a subject of the Emperor o Austria-Hungary, and a resident of Vien'na. in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, IV. Sohikanedergasse 6, have invented a ne and useful Improvement of Methods and Devices for lfilectrically Regulatingi the Speed of Prime Movers. especially Tnrbinesi and I do' hereb declare the following to be a full. clear, and exactdescription--of the intern tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and u e the same.

This nvention relates to method and apoai-atus for electric-all "regulating speed ant. is well adapted for the regulation of prime movers,- especia'lly turbines. after the tachometric principle The object 'of the invention is'to provide an eflici'ent I method and apparatus of the character described In carrying out. the invention theremav beenip lo ved a regulatingmechanism controlled" b va controlling in'otor adapted to; lie-operated by aplumnty of single phase alternating currents(littering in phase. one

a t l lation to the prime mover or other apparatus the speed of which is to be governed. while another of said currents may vary in phase with relation to thefg'overned apparatus l -p on a variation in speed of the QOVQI'IIGtl apparatus; the currents will be displaced in phase and a rotary field will be prorlilced in the controlling motonwhich may he of the usual induction type. and that motor will start and operate the regulating mechanism. The direction in which the motor operates will depend uponwhichone of the currents leads in phase; If the governed apparatus speed up the current fixed inihase with relation to that apparatus will lead the other and the motor'will rotate in a direction to operate the regulating mechanism to reduce the speed. If the speed of the governed apparatusv falls the current behind and an opposite rotation ot" field in the motor will be prruluccd-and the motor 5 will ran in the opmisite direction and the I regulating mechanism 'will' he o iorntel operated. \fhcn the single. phase current F are in phase. no starting: torque will bt produced in the controlling motor and therei fore if it is at rest it will not move and the regulating mechanism will not be disturbed.

if, however, the controllii'ig motor has been set in operation it might continue to operate as a'single phase motor when. the currents are in phase which is the condition for non-operation of the motor. To prevent this choking coils may be placed in the circuits supplying the motor and these coils may he magnetically interlinked so that when the currents are in phaee the reactan'ce of the coils: will choke back all but the magnetizingcurrents; but when the currents are displaced in phase sufiicient current may pass to operate the motor This arrangenientwill operate. when the currents are in phase, to reduce the supply of energy 7 and increase the slip so that the motor will not operate. The choking coils also reduce the heating of the motor when not operating. by permitting the magnetizing. currents only follow. A resistance may also be included in the rotor in the well known manner. This will operate to increase the slip and "will also increase the starting torque when.

the motor is supplied with currents of displaced phase.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a diagram showing apparatus and connections for accomplishing. regulation according to the invention; l ig. 2 is a diagram showing a modified form of apparatus and connections; Fig. 3 Show curves graphically illus trading the relative speeds. and therefore the relative phases. during the operation of regulation. of ditt'erent parts of the apparatu the curves being plotted with speeds as ordinates and times as abscissa, the horizontal line reprcsentingthe speed which it is (lt' l.i 'tl to maintain: F ig'. at a top plan view of apparatus similar to thahshow'n in Fig. 1, but modified ,inicrtain particulars, the electrical connections.heing "diagranv maticallyshown: Fig. 5 a view of a modiii atiou ot" the invention. the apparatiis in: eluding a device .for damping; theo'scillaions caused by regulation, a central longitudinal section of the device referred to beingshown; Fig. o'isa section on the line rZ of Fig. 5. the parts being: broken away 0 show a partial sectionon the line rzb; Flip. "I is a diagramtshowing electrical coniections of the device for damping the os cillations; Fig. 8 is a curve plotted with running at times as abscissae and the speed of the prime mover as ordinates, the straight line representing the speed desired, and, Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of an elastic connection hereinafter referred to; 'Fig. 10 is a conventional illustration showing the manner of establishing electrical connection between two revolving shafts by means of spiral springs connected at their centers as hereinafter referred to.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, K is a turbine direct connected to an alternator G the field of which is excited by a direct current exciter E. A phase of the alternator is connected by a transformer t with a circuit l connected to one phase winding of the controlling motor i. e. the two-phase induction motor S. One side of the circuit 1' passes through one section of the induction or choking coil T. The phase of the current thus supplied to the controlling'motor, it will be seen, is fixed with relation to the turbine. The motor S operates any suitable regulating mechanism for the turbine such as a valve, for controlling the supply of motive fluid thereto. The other phase winding of the motor S is connected with a circuit l which is supplied with alternating current by the direct-alternating rotary converter U. The converter U is driven from a current source of constant voltage such as a storage battery A. One side of the circuit Rpasses through one section of the induction coil T and is mounted on the same core with the section in the circuit l. The two sections are wound so that their magnetomotive forces are coincident and the-currents in the circuits 1' and l choked down to the magnetizing current when the currents are in phase, current being permitted to flow to pperate the motor S, when thephases are displaced. A magnetic piece J forms a ma netic yoke for the core of the induction coi T, the reluctance of the magnetic circuit depending upon the distance away from the core at which the yoke is placed.

Gearin projections 2 are secured to the turbine s aft and similar rojections 3 extend from the shaft of t e converter The pro'ections 2 and 3 are ada ted to abut to' couple the two shafts toget 1er and are connected by springs 10 which tend to hold these projections at right angles to each other as shown in Fig. 9 and the projections are so held when the converter U and the turbine, with its connected generator G, are the same speed, when the two currents su plied to the motor S will be m phase and t e motor and its connected reguatin mechanism will be at rest. It will be seen, owever, that the elastlc connection or coupling just described .permits the phase of the alternating current supplied by the converter U to the motor S to vary with relation to that of the turbine and the current having its phase fixed with relation thereto.

The converter U and the source A are so adjusted that the converter tends to run at a constant speed equal to that of the turbine which it is desired to maintain.

Assuming that the turbine is runnin at the desired speed and the converter is driven at that speed by the storage battery the speed of both. being then represented by the straight line \Vn of Fig. 3. If now at the mint 0 the speed of the turbine varies, as indicated by the full line 79, the converter will be drag ed into variation from that speed, as indicated by the dotted line p. The variation of theconverter will, however, lag behind that of the turbine as shown by the relation of the dotted and full lines )9 and this being permitted by the flexible coup ing, and the currents supplied to the motor S will be out of base and the motor will start and operate t e regulating mechanism to oppose the variation in speed. The variation will continue until a maximum at the point a is reached when it will decrease and at a point 0' the speeds of the converter and turbine will be the same and the two currents supplied to the motor S will be in phase, which is the condition for that motor to stop. Beyond the point a the variationof the speed of the turbine decreases as indicated by the full line p and the variation of the speed of the converter also decreases as indicated by the dotted line p'.. In this decrease, however, it will be seen that beyond the point a the sequence of the phases of the currents is reversed to what it was prior. to the point a, in other words, the phase previously leading is now lagging. This results in the reversal of the direction of rotation of the ma netic field in the motor S andconsequently t iat motor and the regulatin mechanism are operated in the opposite girection to that prevailing during the increase of the speed variation. It will thus be seen,- that the regulating mechanism is not only stopped but begins to act in the opposite direction before the speed of the turbine has reached normal as indicated b He point (l upon the curve As is we known, in devices of this ciaracter there is over regulation so that after the speed has been brought from variation 11 on one side to the normal will swing to t 1e other side. Thus the speed of the turbineafter having been brought from a maximum variation at the point 0 to the normal at (i, will continue past the point d to a maximum variation at t e point 9 upon the other side. Throughout the variation from the point t" (before the speed of the turbine reaches the mechanism will he 0 rated to oppose the variation and, there ore, the amplitude of the variation whose maximum is 9 will be unit-h les then the amplitude of the ceding variation upon the her side of the normal wl iose maxinium is at 0. At the point 9" the motor will be sto mod and reversed in amanner similar to that described with regard to the point 0' and the speed of the turbine will vary through the normal indicated by hto a maximum upon the other side. indicated by iv. The maximum variation iiponthe side last referred to is smaller than that of the preceding maxillllllil variation upon the other side and for the 'same reason that. the last maximum variation was smaller than'tlie one which preceded it. It will thus be seen that each succeeding 'tlllfltiOiLflUll) the normal will be less than its prccedingone and, therefore, the oscillations of speed about the normal will be qiiirkly damped out.

In Fig. 2, the turbine K, instead of driv; ing a power ,generatoigas in Fig. 1, drives power apparatuswhich is non-electric in its nature. A gene'ator H is, therefore. coupled to the turbine forthe purpose of enerating the alternating current of fixed phase {with relation to the turbine) which supplied to the controlling motor S. This generator H is shown as a double current generator which not only supplies the fixed .phase. but also supplies direct current for driving the rotary converter l: which supplies the variable (with relation to the tariineiphase to the-motor S. An elastic coupling. as de cribed in connection with Fig. 1. is interposed between the shaft of the turbine and tie converter l I An induction'eo l T. like that shown in Fig. 1 and for a similar lllil'PO-P. is provided in Fig. l. Tle operation of the apparatus of Fig. '2 is substantially the same as described in connection with Fig. 1.

The apparatus shown iii Fig. l is like that. shown in F ig. 1 except that owing to a 'difi'erence in the number of poles of the rotary converter 1 and the generator (r a gearing 1 -isused to couple the converter with the shaft of the turbine and generator so that the currents-of the generator G and of the converter U will have the same periodicity. The gear referred to must be positivelvdriving in its character so that a fixed phase relation is maintained between the shaft of the driven gear and the turbine shaft. and between the driven gear and the coiijfverter I'is interposed a flexible coupling which may be of the character hereinbefore described.

There an alternator is driven by the tar b'ine, as in Fig. 1. it is only necessary to design the converter 1' current sincej it supplies but one phase. the other phase being'supplied by the generator.

- In amodification of my invention I place a choking coil in circuit. with the controlling and its source of energy to supply one-half of the regulating nae-tor during the period of excessive euited during the period of use n1 regulating w0rl The up )aratus illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and T is esigned to accomplish this. purpose. Referring to these figures, the pulley. M is mounted upon and keyed to the turbine shaft and to it is bolted a ring R which extends into a fly wheel S havin a specially shaped rim. The fly wheel S is mounted upon the shaft of the converter U. The inside of the ring R is furnished with-a' sliding contact which is kept in normal position by the springs f and f this sliding contact serving to connect and'disconne'ct the choking coil T. One end of each of two frames is pivoted to the contact k.' The other ends of these frames slide on'the inside of the fly wheel rim,there being friction created between the frame ends and the fly wheel rim by centrifugal force. The fly wheel :5 is mounted loose u on the shaft of the converter and is' coup ed with it by means of a detachable coupling which is con trolled by the turbine shaft. In case the speed of the turbine varies, either by acceleration or retardation, by an amount equal to one-quarter 90, electrical degrees) of the pole pitch of the converter, the coupling will'disconnect and the fly wheel can then rotate loosely on the shaft of the converter: (as is hereinafter explained in detail) there-- liy maintaining a practically constant speed 1'Qg2\l(il$ j of the speed of .the converter which is obliged to follow the turbineshafif insuch a manner that the alternatingcur reins maintain a maximum base displace;- ment (lllITHgthBjHCIIEEISG of t 1e speed va'riation. In the present case the shaft of the converter has keyed to it a flange N which is provided with a sleeve within'which extends a toothed boss TB of the fly wheel. Two three-armed levers w w are pivoted in the flange N and two of the arms extend about the sleeve and are genre together as shown in Fig. 6. Two of thearms, one upon each lever, ope ate as pawls and pas through openings in the sleeve secured to the flange Rand into the teeth of the fly wheel boss thus coupling the fly wheel with the shaft. The other arms of the levers are shaped to serve as hearing surface'sfoi the fly wheel rollers r, and r whieh'are actuated by the turbine shaft. they being pivoted at it upon the pulley M The surfacesof the lever w and 11- are inclined towards thera-ilial' direction so as to cause the rollers to slide on these surfaces toward the center, when the pawls will be pressed in the toothed wheel.

In Figs. 5 aiid'ti the turbine and the converter are to run at the same number of revolutions and. therefore, are arranged onaxially. If, however. the number of poles were different so that the converter'and tar binedwould be re uilged to run at different spee s a positive rivin reducin ear would have to be eiiiployed. g g

In order to avoid the use of a sliding contact the conductor U of the converter is connected between the converter and turbine shafts by means of the spiral springs 11 and 12 whose centers are connected by a wire as shown most clearly in Figs. 5 and 10. In the drawings the conductors G1 and Gr on the one hand lead to the generator as G positively driven by a prime mover, and on the other 'hand the conductors Gr and Gr lead to one phase winding of a controllin motor such as S which operates a valve controlling the prime mover. The conductors U and U are on the one hand connected with the alternating current side of the rotary converter U and on the other hand the 12, is the conductor U 'leadi '7: with contact 0 conductors U and U lead to the other phase Winding of a controlling motor such as S. The circuits of the two phases of the controllin motor have a common path through the in uction coil T (see Figs. 5 and 7 so that this coil affects both circuits.

Referring more particularly to the electrical connections of the apparatus shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the conductor Gr leading from one terminal of the generator G is con nected with the slip ring II which in turn is connected to the point P. Also connected with the point P,through the springs 11 and flbm the alternating current side of t e converter. From the point P a conductor leads to the contact-c adapted to be connected by block The contact a, is connected to the contact 0' and the slip ring IV. The ring IV is connected to the junction P of the wires U and G From the junction P the wires U and Gr lead to the controlli'n motor S, one wire being connected'to a terminal of each phase. The other terminal of the generator G is com nected b a conductor Gr with a terminal of one p ase of the motor S. The contact 0 is connected with the slip ring III which is connected with one terminal of the induction coil T, the other terminal of that coil bein connected with the 'unction P. The con uctor U which leads rom the alternating current side of the converter to a terminal of one of the phases of the motor S makes its connection through a slip ring I. Although no brushes are shown in com nection with slip rings II, III and IV, it will be understood that suitable brushes are employed, for instance, like that shown in connection with ring I. In Fig. 7 the slip rings are designated by small circles as indicated by the reference numerais.

The operation of 'the device shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is as follows: When start ing the apparatus, the converter f lts source of energy is not yet in action) 15 run great torque in the controllin by the turbine. Owing to the inclined surfaces of the coupling levers which act against the rollers 7- and r these rollers slide toward the center and the' pawls enter the toothed wheel. IVhen a certain number of revolutions has been reached the rollers 1' and r swing outwardly under the action of centrifugal force and, coming into contact with the arm w. or '00 of the coupling levers turn those levers upon their pivots whereupon the pawls are removed from the toothed Wheel, the fly wheel becoming thus disconnected, when it will rotate loosely on the shaft of the converter without changing its number of revolutions.

Durin normal speed, the converter is electrically (Triven so that the converter and turbine shafts run at the same speed and the two phases of current are coincident so that the controlling motor is at rest. Under this condition the ivot point B will be midway between t e extremities of the lovers 10 and w These extremities are a distance apart such that the sum of the distances between the rollers r, and r and the extremities of the levers w and 20,, respectively, is equal to one-half the pole pitch (180 electrical degrees) of the converter. In the position of the apparatus shown in Fig. (i, the roller 2*, is against the lever w and therefore the distance between the roller r. and the lever w is equal to one-half the pole pitch of "the converter. It will now be a parent that upon acceleration or retardation of the turbine s eed from the normal the roller r or r will come against the arm 20 or w as the case may be, after the turbine shaft has turned through 90 electrical de rees, and will disconnect the fly wheel an drive the converter. It will be observed therefore, that while the converter is driven by the turbine the two are displaced 90 electrical degrees in controlling motor are displace in phase which is the proper relation for operating two phase motors to the best advantage.

The movement of the contact slide is on the rim of the fly wheel is efl'ected by the combined action of the force of the springs f and f of the friction and of the pressure of its own mass plus the pressure due to the mass of the frames. Upon an increase in the speed of the turbine (as at point 1 in Fig. 8) t e spring f will be compressed owing to the retardation of the slide 7:; with relation to the ring R. The slide in will then connect the contacts 0' and 0 thus short circuiting the choking coil T which will result in a motor. pressure upon thespring f5, us to retarding changes at point 2 of Fig. 8 to pressure due to. acceleration, thus acting against the friction. The spring f which now has only to overcome the difference of the twoforces,

hues and that therefore the currents su p led to the The It will now be seen that during tdie useful regulating time the friction plus the pressure due to mass is acting on the'sp'rin Whereas during excessive regulation the di? ference of the forces due to friction and mass is acting. At the points 1, 3 and 5 the spring will move the sliderk the sooner the more the static friction, in the first instant, preponderates and exceeds the friction of motion. The complete change-over device is arranged in the inside of the ring'R so as to insure a proper resting of the. frame on the contacts by .the centrifugal force. This ring R'may be filled with oil which will Jrevent sparking due to reversing, the oil being maintained within the ring by centrifugal force. The sparking at the contacts will, however, be small as the choking coil will be connected in parallel with any spark which may be formed Vihat I claim is z-- 1. The combination with a rotating body.

the speed of which is tobe governed, of

means for generating an alternating current fixed in phase with relation to said.

rotating body, a rotating generator for supplying an alternating current variable in phase with relation to said rotating body, speed regulating mechanism for said rotating body, a motor operative by out of phase currents for controlling said regulating mechanism, and means for supplying current in phase with said generator and current in phase with said rotating 'body respectively to said motor.

2. The combination with a prime mover, speed regulating mechanism for said prime mover, an alternating current generator positively driven by said prime mo er, a' second alternating current generator, 9. coupling serving to connect said prime mover'and said second alternating current generator, said coupling adapted to permit a change of phase of said second alternating current generator with relation to said prime mover, a motor adapted to be operatedby a plurality of outof phase alternating currents, said motor being connected with said generator positively driven by said prime mover and with said second alternating current generator, said motor controllin said regulating mechanism.

3. Time combination with a prime mover, of an alternating cur-went generator positively driven thereby, a second alternating 'mrrent generator, 'an elastic coupling between said prime moveigand said second alternating current generator, regulating mechanism for said rime mover, a motor controlling said regu ating mechanism, said motor being adapted to be operated by out of phase alternating currents, said motor being connected with sa d positively driven 'al-ternating current'generator and said second alternating current generator.

at. The combination with a prime mover, of an alternating. current generator positively driven thereby, a direct current-alter nating current converter, a source of direct current for driving said converter, a flexible coupling between said prime mover and said converter, speed re ulating mechanism for said primemover and a motor for controlling said regulating mechanism, said motor being adapted to be operated by out of phase alternating currents and said motor being connected with said alternating current generator and with said converter.

5. The combination with a prime mover, of an alternating current generator positively driven thereby, a source of alternating current, means independent of said prime mover tending to drive said source of alternating current at a constant speed, a coupling serving to mechanically connect said prime mover and said source, said con ling being adapted to permit variation 0 the phase of said source with relation to said prime mover, speed regulating mechanism for said prime mover, and a motor controlling said regulating mechanism, said motor being adapted to be operated by a plurality of out of phase currents, said motor being connected with said source and with sai generator.

6. The combination with a prime mover, of an alternating current generator positively driven thereby, a source of alternating current, means independent of said prime mover tending to drive said source of alternating current at a constant speed, an elastic coupling between said prime mover and said source, speed regulating mechanism for said prime mover, and a motor controlling said regulating mechanism, said motor being adapted 'to be operated by a plurality 0 out of phase currents, said motor bein connected with said source and with sai generator.

7. The method of regulating the speed of prime movers which consists in 9 crating the regulating mechanism of em prime mover to oppose the variation in speed of said prime mover and reversing the operation of the regulating mechanism before the speed of the prime mover has reached the normal.

8. The method of regulating the speed ofvprime movers which consists in generating' alternating electric currents, one of which, is fixed in phase with relation to said prime mover and the other is variable in I mechanism for said prime mover, a motor 15 phase with relation thereto, operating the controlling said regulatin mechanism,

regulating mechanism of said prime mover said motor being adapted to be operated by when said currents are out of phase, to out of phase alternating currents, said oppose speed variation and changing the motor bein electrically connected with said sequence of the phases before the speed of positively cIriven alternating current generathe prime mover has reached the normal tor and said second generator.

to damp the oscillation due to regulation. In testimony whereof I have signed my 9. The combination with a prime mover, name to this specification in the presenceof an alternating current generator posii of two subscribing witnesses.

tively driven thereby, a second alternating FRIEDRICH VON MERKL.

current generator, 9. lost motion coupling Witnesses:

between said prime mover and said second FRANZ Barren,

alternating current generator, regulatingl Roenn'r W. Hmxcanrxnn. 

